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From A Sporting Finish To A Possible Judicial One, NPFL In Crisis After Giwa FC Reinstated

The Nigerian Professional Football League is deep into confusion after the League Management Company reinstated Giwa FC to the league in ...

The Nigerian
Professional Football League is deep into confusion after the League Management
Company reinstated Giwa FC to the league in compliance with the directives of a
court order.

Giwa FC were initially
expelled from the league after the LMC found the club guilty of breaching rules
and regulations of the competition after they were absent from a total of three
matches without acceptable reasons.

And the club’s
reinstatement has not come without any confusion.

Take for
example, River United. The South-South Club should be sitting on top of the
league with their 1-0 Wednesday win over Heartland F.C but now the club finds
themselves in third position behind Rangers and Wikki Tourists- who can take
pole position should they win their game in-hand.

Such change
in fortunes for Rivers United has seen head coach Stanley Eguma taking a jab at
the organization asking if lessons were learnt in league management after the
organization’s recent visit to Spain.

And for clubs who benefit from the Giwa’s
reinstatement, they can have no complaints, most especially Rangers F.C who
have gone top of the league.

Eguma would not be alone in the outcry. Abdullahi Biffo- former manager at Giwa FC now at Abia
Warriors- has expressed concerns the new developments would bring to the
league.

“The league
will now have to stop for every team to play Giwa, it is a big disruption of
the league”

The worst hit
would be Kano Pillars who would feel they are at the end of a double whammy due to the
changes. Not only has the club fallen down the league, Pillars would be unable
to field Giwa players (Amos Gyan and Chris Madaki) in the remaining league matches as the
LMC ordered players signed on the premise of Giwa’s expulsion should no
longer be played by their new clubs.

Gyan Who Currently Plays For Kano Pillars Cannot Be Fielded By His Team

Recently, the
Professional Footballers Union issued a statement frowning at the decision saying
the order will have adverse effects on the well-being of the players affected.

The league
was set for an exciting finish with an 18th placed team, although
difficult, mathematically able to win the league with about six rounds of
matches left to play. It is a pity that this recent “fix” with its spillovers
can see the season extended with lengthy battles in courts.